Quote from Forum Archives on December 13, 2004, 10:48 am

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD #3/5
SPIRITUAL GENETICS
December 12, 2004

Text: John 3:1-21

Deoxyribonucleic acid. It can be funny what sticks with a person through
life. I was introduced to deoxyribonucleic acid back in seventh grade,
and it has stuck with me. In fact, I even spelled it out before verifying
it with spell-check. Came within one letter of the correct spelling; I
used an extra “y” instead of an “i.” Anyway, know what deoxyribonucleic
acid is?

Yep, it is better known as DNA. It has been called the basic building
blocks of life. Even though I recall being introduced to it in seventh
grade life science, I don’t really know much about it. I made a model of
a typical DNA helix out of a coat hanger and clay. A rather crude
representation, I guess, but it helped get me through the class. Advances
in DNA and genetic research since then have been both amazing and
frightening. Some serious diseases have been identified as hereditary and
are being cured. At the same time, some of the research is outright
controversial as debate rages over the studies of embryonic stem cells
and cloning.

Let’s focus on what DNA is. As I said, DNA is the building block of life.
The DNA in our very bodies, created at conception, has determined such
genetic factors as our eye color, hair color, height, race, you name it.
Physically, who you are has been determined by the way those DNA strands
were woven together. Had they been arranged differently, you would have
had blue eyes instead of brown. Or red hair instead of brunette. Amazing
to think about, isn’t it? A bunch of molecules get together in a
particular arrangement at conception and, poof, there you are.

Jesus didn’t go into such details about the science of genetics with
Nicodemus, but he did say something profound about birth. “I tell you the
truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Some Bibles may read “born from above” instead of “born again,” but “born
again” is familiar to us. In fact, sometimes it is applied with disdain
by those who attack the Christian faith. “Oh, he’s just one of those born
again people,” as if it is a disease or plague or something.

Nicodemus wasn’t sure about what Jesus was talking about. “’How can a man
be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a
second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’” Surely not. I don’t
think any mother would want that. Once per child is enough. One birth per
child; that’s the limit.

To every mother’s relief, and to Nicodemus’s relief, Jesus was applying
the concept of birth to teach a spiritual truth. He is talking about
being born of the Spirit. He is talking about belief. “I have spoken to
you of earthly things; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly
things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from
heaven - the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” The Son of Man - Jesus - did what was required of
him so that we could become what we could not make ourselves become -
righteous, holy, and able to enter into the presence of God. At the time
of our physical birth, we are born into sin; at the time of our spiritual
birth, we are born into righteousness. Just as we have been given a
physical DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, so we have been given a spiritual
DNA.

Jesus spells it out to us. We sing about it often during this time of the
year. Strands of our spiritual DNA include light, peace, and, our focus
this morning, love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.” This is the meaning of being born again - believe. Turn to one of
John’s other books, 1 John 4:10-11. When we believe - when we are born
again - then we receive our spiritual DNA. We are created new, just as we
were created new the first time, only this second time is better. “This
is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as
an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.” Wow! Read on through the next verse,
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love each other, God lives in us and
his love is made complete in us.”

This is spiritual genetics in its rawest form. If someone could tinker
with our physical genetic code, then we could change the natural color of
our eyes and our hair. We could, perhaps, have hereditary illnesses
erased from us; that is what modern science is working on, I guess. Well,
when we believe that Jesus suffered and died to take away our sin, and we
are born again, God tinkers with our spiritual genetics! He reaches into
us and says, “That darkness gene is now light. That chaos gene is now
peace. That hating gene is now love.” God says to us, “You are not the
person you were just a moment ago. You are a new person - a born again
person - and your whole spiritual genetic code has been changed.”

This is what that amazing DNA structure that God put together, known as
Jesus, has done for us. This is what Jesus’ birth is all about, and why
we celebrate it year after year. Christmas love comes from no other
source than God Himself. It cannot come from any other source, because
apart from God we do not know what love is.

In a book entitled The Faith of the Christian Church, the book that was
used as the text in my basic theology class in seminary, author Gustaf
Aulén writes in the section titled “God is Love,” “Love is the center of
the concept of God. The inmost character of the Christian concept of God
is determined by Christ and his work. This implies that here faith finds
the God who seeks and enters into communion with sinful man; or, in other
words, a love which destroys the system into which legalism and
rationalism would incorporate the relationship between God and man… When
love therefore appears as the dominant center of the Christian conception
of God, the peculiar nature of this love is revealed in its spontaneity
and its self-giving. Divine love is not called forth by anything outside
itself. Its character is defined by the cross.” (Gustaf Aulén, The Faith
of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1960, p. 111) Next
to these printed words, I made the following margin note: “Small wonder,
then, that ‘love’ is the most sought after of human emotions!”

Think of it. What emotion; what human concept; what philosophical ideal
occupies more attention of humanity than love? Take music. Out of ten
songs played on any radio station anywhere, I would hazard to guess that
one, maybe two at the most, would not touch upon the topic of love. It
may not be the Biblical concept of love - it probably would not be - but
most music known to man has been driven by the topic of love. Consider
some of the epic literary works - and even some non-epic literary works.
You will be hard-pressed to find one that does not address the human
yearning to give and receive love. Of all of Shakespeare’s works, for
example, which is typically known by most people even if they have never
read it? Romeo and Juliet, of course. The greatest literary works written
by even the most ardent atheist or secular humanist are great because
they shout out the yearning of the human spirit to give and receive love!
We cannot get away from the theme of love; indeed, we do not want to get
away from the great theme of love.

Yet, at no other time in my conscious history do I recall ever
experiencing a Christmas season as much under spiritual attack as this
one is turning out to be. All of humanity yearns for love as never
before, and yet the movement to throw Christ out of Christmas has never
seemed stronger. In an online article from Fox News, Scott Norvell
reports, “A December parade in Denver will feature everyone from Chinese
lion dancers to gay and lesbian shamans, according to the Rocky Mountain
News, but not Christians who want to sing yuletide hymns or carry a Merry
Christmas message. Denver pastor George Morrison said his request to
enter a float in the annual Parade of Lights, which apparently only
coincidentally happens in late December, was rejected because parade
officials won't allow any ‘direct religious themes.’ ‘It's a little
confusing to me,’ said Morrison. ‘Here we have this holiday, Christmas,
approaching, and Parade of Lights is suddenly changed into something
where you can't even sing a Christmas song?’ The one-hour parade features
elaborate floats with holiday symbols such as Santa Claus and gingerbread
houses, plus an ‘international procession’ of cultural groups. The
international portion this year features the Two Spirit Society, which
honors gay and lesbian American Indians as holy people; a German folk
dance group; and performers of the Lion Dance, a Chinese New Year
tradition ‘meant to chase away evil spirits and welcome good luck and
good fortune for the year.’ Those groups are considered examples of
ethnic diversity, not religious groups, a parade official said.” (Scott
Norvell, “Santa, Yes, Jesus, No,” Sunday, December 05, 2004,
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,140545,00.html) In the same article, Norvell
continues, “The Sarasota Herald Tribune says some schools in Florida are
so worked up over the thought of anything smacking of Christianity
appearing in classes that they are banning seasonal celebrations
altogether. In this year’s winter concert at Freedom Elementary School in
East Manatee students will be singing about America and patriotism
instead of about C-----mas and the holidays. Even snowflakes are verboten
among the classroom decorations. ‘There's a lot of rules and regulations
out there,’ said Freedom Principal Gary Holbrook. ‘You're trying to be
respectful of everyone.’” (Scott Norvell, “New Lows,” Sunday, December
05, 2004, www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,140545,00.html)

How sweet. We can “be respectful of everyone,” but we can’t love anyone
because the seat and source of all love is being removed from the very
season that bears His divine name! Christ is being taken out of Christmas
and, Jesus is being removed as the reason for the season. I am certain
that I am not the only one here this morning who comprehends the sad,
futile silliness of all this.

What I am illustrating is that if we are not born again, then God has not
tinkered with our spiritual DNA. Without God, our worldly DNA is in full
play. Why do we have people so full of anger that they climb upon a stage
and begin shooting randomly into a crowded nightclub? Why do we have
students who walk into classrooms with knives or guns? Why do we have
people who run others off the road in fits of anger? Because those are
just a few of the fruits of worldly genetics. Wander back through the
pages of world history and find me a time that has not been marked and
marred by darkness and terror and hatred. Can’t be done, because that is
who we are. We typically, and accurately, speak of the Bible as Good
News. But we must never forget that the Bible gives us some bad news:
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23);
“For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). This is the DNA that we
are born with, folks. We are stuck with it, and there is nothing we can
do about it.

We know that it doesn’t end there, though. Right, folks? It doesn’t end
there because God says it doesn’t end there. God can change our DNA, and
He does. Our spiritual DNA, at any rate. “I tell you the truth, unless a
man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being born again is
not just another adjective to add to a description of a Christian - a
born again Christian - like another line on a job résumé. It is an action
performed on us by God. He births us again. He gives us new life. He
gives us spiritual genetics. Looking for love this Christmas? Better be
looking to God, then, because it’s not going to be found anyplace else.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN